Thursday, September 12, 2013

Wondering if Jay, can pray, and be thankful for a day

I have a story I'd like to parallel to the plight of my running buddy, all-around cool guy and ironman attititude dude Jay Erwin.

Jay was crushed by a tree limb several weeks ago and has suffered paralyzing injuries.

The most recent report indicated Jay was sitting up, stable, and has now been transported to Atlanta for phase 1 of his rehab journey.

I don't have any magic words, or a shortcut plan for his path back. We can only ponder, pray, and show this super competitor and motivator that we care about his well-being.

I'm not one who adheres to lightning bolt Christianity. But on select occasions, I do believe God gives us a bump when we need it. This occurred several days ago, after I reconnected with an old friend and motocross racing champion. It took me back to thoughts of yesteryear and I felt a rush come through me.

I'm no different than most of you, in that I had a few rough knocks in my life. I'm a kid from Wisconsin, who went on to live his dreams. On this day, it was God saying "I know there were bad spots, but I spiffed you with a few good things, too." At that moment I was thankful and grateful to be afforded the blessings that I have known.

Here's the story on the day: When you've been dealt a pile-driver like Jay, experiencing any sort of thankful attitude seems almost impossible. I can't know when or how this would happen for my buddy, but I do know there is cleansing and healing in being thankful. I pray that for brief moments, our Boone Running Club hero can find a special place to possess a crumb of thanksgiving. Maybe it's just in that moment, but it's in a place where God finds Jay, and Jay finds God.

It's been a wild ride, bro. Always know we're out here and we love you.